Delusional Duck Discussion Forums

Scot Lucas for District 1 Commissioner

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Scot Lucas, former Councilman for the Town of La Plata, has filed for Commissioner for District 1.

Ken Robinson for District 1 Commissioner

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Seems to have announced his candidacy.

Is Sam Graves for real???

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Correct me if I am wrong, but I just read an article in the “Indy” that Sam Graves, our commissioner from District 1 is pleased over recent legislation that will allow a person living in Charles County for 20 years a freeze on their property taxes… but the kicker is that person not only has to reside in Charles County, but would have had to live in the same house for the past 20 years to qualify for this benefit…

So, my mother who’s hmmm .. how do I say this… ahh 25 (wink) and has lived her entire life in Charles County, has paid income and property taxes, who is now living under a fixed income, if she decides her present house is now larger then she can handle or afford, decides to sell, and downsize, she will lose that credit…
Sam, I know you are upset over loosing the election, but dude, pull your head out of the sand, and let’s not take it out on the backs of the seniors.. (sorry mom).

Our seniors need this tax break regardless of how long they live in a house, if you want to put a time restraint requirement in the bill, please change the requirement from being in their home for 20 years to being a county resident for the last 20 years.

Sam, lets help the seniors, and not force them to be bound to a house they may not be able to live in by cost or by design, but are forced to stay just to be able to afford a tax break.

So Rocky is giving Sam Graves one big grrrrrrrrrrr January cannot come fast enough!

Family

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All this stuff about the Graves family gets to be a little too much. If you can’t tout the successes of your family whats the use. I always thought Peter Graves did a great job on Mission Impossible.

Sam Graves for Commissioner, District 1

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Sam Graves is seeking re-election for Commissioner, District 1—running “on his record.” Good luck with that.

Questions for Ken Robinson

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First off, thanks for having a forum where we can directly get answers from candidates. This aids the process of choosing our representatives in government. If only state and federal candidates did this.

My first set of questions has to do with the transparency of your candidacy.

For a long time, you were the proprietor of the “Stop Mirant” website aimed at accountability and sustainability related to the power plant near the Gov. Nice Bridge. Your actions in use of the Swan Point HOA funds were advertised as being for the health, safety and welfare of all citizens near the plant. However, is it true that many of the inland Swan Point residents became quite upset when they discovered that their funds were being used in a battle over your view shed, not for the health safety and welfare of the citizens of the area? After all, Mirant was spending $2 billion to come in compliance with Clean Air standards, and your efforts were to block this under the guide of concerns over water quality.

Also related to your efforts with Mirant, in accordance with your pledge for transparency, will you publish the letter you received from their lawyers related to your use of a Mirant company email in an unethical fashion?

Second, there have questions raised about the waterfront land connected to your property. Swan Point (or at least the vast majority of the area) is in the state designated “Critical Area,” an environmentally sensitive zone under strict guidelines as far as how the land can be used. Tree removal is forbidden by critical area regulations and even if a variance is granted, mitigation requires that for every tree removed, another must be planted. I have attached two pictures (one in this post and other in the one that follows) that show the land in question before you owned it being thoroughly forested and its current state being mostly cleared. Can you show the approved variance allowing this clearing? I know from experience that other citizens trying to do ANYTHING in the critical area on their own land have been denied by PGM staff. Reconciling the law and the reality in this situation is vital for transparency. Were you required to remove your tiki bar by government authorities?

Finally, you sit on the county board of appeals. The American Planning Associations’ ethical guidelines state that all members of government boards must step aside whenever there is a conflict of interest. In the past, all other candidates who sat on a appeal or planning board stepped aside to keep politics out of the planning process. Will you do the same? Do you feel that it is ethical for you to continue to sit on this board and run for office at the same time?

More to the point, you have stated on this blog your opinion on many matters of regulation that come before the Board of Appeals. The reason the BOA is separated from the political boards of the county is so there is a fair and objective sense of opportunity for the applicants. How can you claim to be fair and objective and sit in judgment of others if you have already stated your position on so many pertinent issues which regularly come before the BOA?

Outside these issues of transparency, I have a few questions about the planks of your platform.

I echo the questions from others related to what specifically you think is the smartest kind of growth. Where should this occur and under what guidelines?

Do you believe your promotion of wind energy will result in higher electricity bills for other consumers?

I very much support your idea to broaden the tax base and lower rates. This is very pro-growth (in terms of overall economic growth). What new consumption should be taxed? More importantly, how much do you think (approximately) property taxes can be cut?

Should the relative size of county government be expanded, shrank, or left unchanged?

Michael Tresansky not seeking seat for District 1 Commissioner

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Twenty-four year old Michael Tresansky is the latest to enter the race for Charles County Commissioner. Tresansky filed as an independent candidate for the District 1 seat.

Democrat Ken Robinson is the only other candidate who has filed as a candidate for District 1, however Samuel Graves (D) has announced his intention to attempt to keep his seat and Board of Education member Jennifer Abell has strongly suggested that she’ll throw her hat in the ring for the Republican ticket. There has even been some chatter, reported here, that Joe Crawford (R) is entering the District 1 race.